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to writing to their representatives in Parliament to opposethe repeal of the Act for accumulative penalties for non-com-pliance with vaccination. There is now no time to be lost.I much wish copies of your able article in THE LANCET ofMay 14th, 1892, could be sent to each Member of Parliament.They will, of course, be inundated with the false statementsof the anti-vaccinationists. It is a great pity that there is nota league of vaccinationists to disseminate the truth.

I am, Sirs, yours faithfully,Worcester, Maarch 6th, 1893. WM. WOODWARD, M.D.WM. WOODWARD, M.D.

DENTAL ADVERTISING.To the Editors of THE LANCET.

SIRS,—The agitation in reference to the suppression ofdental advertising is, I think, hardly a judicious one, for thesimple reason that it cannot possibly bear fruit. The GeneralMedical Council must, of course, be fully aware that many weremaking a practice of advertising at the time that they wereadmitted to the Dental Register, and therefore have practicallya vested interest in the manner in which they now pursuetheir profession. This body of men have given no under-taking to subscribe to the so-called etiquette of the profes-sion, and under any circumstances it would have to be shownthat advertising per se was harmful, apart from the meresentimental objections to it. Dentists, too, unlike themedical profession, have an appeal to the Courts, and theirinterests are so large that it would be highly improbable theywould be disturbed. It is certainly a hardship that the new"L.D.S." is not able to compete on an equal footing withthe mere ’’ registered ’’ men ; but the remedy would surelynot be found by inflicting an injustice on the latter body.Altogether the movement seems to me to be impracticable,and the present anomalous state of things can only be rectifiedby the course of time. An effort to obtain a better distinctionbetween the ’’ qualified’’ dentist and the merely ’’ registered’’one would be more reasonable at the present moment, andmore likely to yield better results.

I am, Sirs, yours faithfully,Ma.rchlst.l893 A LOOKER ON.A LOOKER ON.

LIGATURE OF THE ANTERIOR TIBIALARTERY.

To the Editors of THE LANCET.

SIRS,-I read with much interest Mr. A. Pearce Gould’sinteresting case of ligature of the anterior tibial artery inTHE LANCET of March 4th. My object in writing is to drawattention to the great success attending the practice advo-cated by Mr. Gould during the American Civil War. Both Con-federate and Federal surgeons tied the anterior tibial arteryin cases of compound fracture of the bones of the leg withsuccess. Assistant-Surgeon R. O’Leary, P.A.C.S., reportsin the November number of the Confederate b’tates Medical ,

and Surgical Journal for 1864 a successful case, andthe Surgeon-General, U.S.A., gives a summary of forty-seven ligations of the anterior tibial artery ; twenty-six patients survived the operation. In seven cases, withfour recoveries, the posterior tibial artery was likewise tied.In fifteen cases in which amputation was performed secondarybleeding took place, necessitating ligature of the vessel onthe face of the stump. Twelve cases were treated by ligationof the artery at the seat of the injury ; of these six recoveredand six died, or required amputation-a much smaller per-centage than the usual from ligation of arteries, for of the1155 ligations recorded in the U.S.A., 684 died-a resultnot to be wondered at when we think of the hardships theirwounded troops suffered during the retreats from Fredericks-burg, the Perinsula, Manasses, Chancellorsville, and manyother great battles. The tendency of the hardships enduredduring transportation to produce secondary hæmorrhage isillustrated by Surgeon Brinton’s case occurring during theflight from Fredericksburg.

I am, Sirs, yours truly,GEORGE Foy, F.R.C.S.I.

Cavendish-row, Rutland-equare East, Dublin, March 4th, 1S93.

FAMINE AND TYPHUS FEVER IN BENCHASI.-News has been received in Tripoli to the effect that famineand its common attendant, typhus fever, have been causingterrible mortality amongst the inhabitants of Benchasi, theTurkish African province of Berea.

GEORGE FOY, F.R.C.S.I.

NORTHERN COUNTIES NOTES.(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

Tyne Sanitary Authority.THE medical officer for the Tyne port sanitary authority,

Dr. H. E. Armstrong, has issued a most interesting report,especially as regards the cholera precautions necessary lastautumn in consequence of the great inter-communication ofthe Tyne with foreign infected ports. As regards the work doneit is only necessary to state that from Aug. 30th to Nov. 21stlast a continuous inspection was necessary of 497 ships carry-ing 8059 passengers and hands, and, with few exceptions, thesehad come from cholera-infected ports. Dr. Armstrong speakshighly of the work of Dr. Clark, Mr. Webster, Drs. Steegman,Marshall and others, but says very little about his ownwork and risks, but it is well known and remembered (atleast by his professional confrères) that he did not sparehimself during this trying period, and indeed he remained up awhole night with a cholera patient and only left the poor fellowwhen he died. It is a pity that Dr. Armstrong’s exertionshave not been adequately appreciated by the Tyne sanitaryauthority.

The Knight Memorial Hospital, Blyth.The annual meeting of this new institution (which is a great

advantage to Blyth and its vicinity) has been held. Dr.Newstead says in his report that in all about 800 patientswere treated. The financial condition of the hospital is satis-factory, but more subscriptions will be necessary to cope withthe increasing population.

Small-pox in North it7nberland and Durham.Although there is nothing in the nature of an epidemic of

small-pox in the north, one hears from day to day of cases here.and there. It has reappeared at Sunderland, as also in Durhamcity and Weardale. In most cases it can be traced two

tramps and wayfarers. If anything could be done to stopthe migrations of these unsettled ° gentry " I believe that thedisease would before long be stamped out.

Sad Accident to a Durham Grammar School Master.

Many of the readers of THE LANCET who have beeneducated at the Durham Grammar School will be sorryto hear of the sad accident to Mr. F. A. Ker, M,A.,tutor of modern languages for several years at thatschool. Mr. Ker, who was very fond of trapeze exercise,fell from the cross-bar when practising last Thursday,and he received such injury to his spine that he died in twodays in the Durham County Infirmary.

SunderlandA successful effort was made last week to benefit the-

infirmary and other charities by the press and dramatic

charity carnival, resulting in the sum of £ 170. Next year itis proposed to enlarge the scope of the attractions byhaving, as at Newcastle, a musical matinée as well. A cor-

respondent of the Sunderland -Vie7to says that of the thirtydnine surgeons practising in Sunderland forty-two years agothere are only four now remaining.

Middlesbrough Asylum.At a meeting of the Middlesbrough Asylum Committee the-

architect to the Lunacy Commissioners was instructed to

prepare plans for a lunatic asylum to be erected on theMarton estate and to provide accommodation for 20 bedsand at the same time for a possible increase of eightypatients.Newcastle on. Tyne, March 9th.

SCOTLAND.(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENTS.)

Edinburgh Medico-Cfeirurgicccl Society.AT the meeting of this Society last week Dr. John Duncan

read a paper on the Surgical Treatment of Gall-stones, inwhich he gave his experience of operation in ten cases. Outof these there was only one death, and the patient who diedwas an old and much worn-out man. He regarded the opera-tion as a suitable and a safe proceeding. The second paperwas by Dr. Rutherford Morison of Newcastle on Some Mis-takes and Accidents in the Technique of Abdominal Operations.The paper was a very practical one, illustrated by Dr. Morison’&-experience.